Kathmandu, Nov. 17 -- There is a striking irony in Nepal's agricultural landscape: the very farmers who work the land struggle to obtain loans, while "fake farmers" living in concrete jungles receive the largest share of agricultural credit. This exposes the gap between Nepal's agricultural policy and its practice. Much of the Kathmandu Valley is now densely settled, with urban expansion reaching the foothills. In these plots, grain no longer grows-land sales do. That such areas receive the highest volume of agricultural loans is deeply troubling. It shows how real agricultural development has been sidelined, with loans routinely misused for non-farming activities. Of the agricultural loans disbursed across the 13 districts of Bagmati Pro...